A bedroom is a very private space. Hotels know this and add a beautifully wrapped chocolate on the bedside table for that personal touch. The bedside table can tell a lot about a person. I love decorating these spaces because they are so personal. Bedside tables are important because they're the last thing you see when turning in for the night and the first thing you see when you wake. These small intimate spaces have to pack a visual punch by adding color and texture. At the same time they serve practical needs like holding our alarm clocks and eyeglasses. They come in all shapes and sizes different colors and styles. I've been asked many times about accessorizing these spaces. Here are some ideas for what I call the bedside vignette or in simple terms nightstands and the stuff we put on them. This is the area where you can really make a statement with lamps. I find that square lampshades or round lampshades that are 14 inches or less in diameter work best against a wall. Drawers are always great for storing things you need but don't want to get up for. I love this alternative lighting detail instead of a table lamp. A hanging chandelier on either side of the bed provides beautiful symmetry and frees the nightstand for other personal accessories. A pendant works just as well as a chandelier visually. The light wattage is lower though so I suggest using a pendant light in combination with can lighting. Stacked books look great with their colorful binding facing the room and are also good for elevating alarm clocks. This beautiful vignette is perfectly balanced with a lamp family photos fresh flowers and a candle.

I'm advocating breaking one of my design rules. Well I don't really believe in strict design rules but generally I try to keep big investment pieces (like beds) neutral solid and classic and bring in prints patterns bolder colors and trendy fabrics via less permanent items like rugs throw pillows duvet covers and window treatments. However these gorgeous patterned headboards have been screaming for my attention and I cannot ignore them any longer. Would you sleep beneath a patterned headboard? If so what kind of textile or pattern would you use? Let me know in the Comments section! Go bold and go for height – dynamic fabrics and exaggerated verticality on a headboard can change the entire feeling of a room. These brilliant textiles add to the Moroccan style of this home and the wall behind them painted up to chair‐rail height tricks the eye distorting how we perceive the colors and proportions. Extend the headboard to new heights to show off a beautiful fabric on it and your shams. It would have been a design travesty not to show off this beautiful suzani fabric. Match a sham or another pillow to the headboard. This will give the bedscape a continuous look vertically like these damask‐pattern shams do. To tie a larger area to the bed extend the headboard behind nightstands. A bold trellis pattern grounds this bed with the appropriate scale. You don't have to use fabric to execute this idea. At the Upward Bound House interior designer Vanessa De Vargas used wallpaper to create the look of an extended headboard. You can also use a special traditional fabric. Design Sponge blogger Grace Bonney helped educate the masses about traditional Mexican Otomi embroidery with her famous DIY headboard.

Tuck it under a low ceiling. A sloped ceiling helps to occupy some of the visual space that a tall headboard and piles of pillows would. Buttress it with furniture. This bed backs up to an integrated shelf and bench unit that makes the long narrow space seem snug. Orienting the bed against a wall also enhances the enveloping feel. Keep the scale large. In a tiny room even a double or queen‐size bed will feel massive and oversize scale translates to a feeling of comfort and warmth. You'll need enough room to walk on either side so don't squeeze it in too tightly. Stay low to the ground. A mattress that sits on the floor feels just right for curling up and lounging. Frame it with a four‐poster. Without canopies testers or other draped fabric treatments four‐poster beds can feel wonderfully spare. This one provides a visual framework that helps to create a cozy sense of boundaries. Warm it with color. Vivid tomato red keeps this floating bed from feeling sterile. Layer in texture. Nubby tactile linens and surfaces help to prevent a minimalist bed from feeling flat and one‐dimensional. Combine three or four textural yet comfortable elements such as the woven rug wooden planking and feathery plant in this space. Keep the color scheme basic to preserve the stripped‐down sensibility.

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Grab center stage. Natalie Younger loves wallpaper. She found her perfect client with this project: The entire house was inspired by graphic prints and bold colors. Grab center stage. Natalie Younger loves wallpaper. She found her perfect client with this project: The entire house was inspired by graphic prints and bold colors. "This paper was installed as a feature wall and grounded the rest of the room's lighter tones by adding a little drama " she says. "I designed a custom velvet platform bed that was kept low to the ground in order to allow the wall to take center stage. The chandelier over the bed added to the mood and the crystal knob details on all the furniture rounded out that glitzy glamour feel." Accent the positive. This bedroom is part of an open loft so Valerie Pasquiou was looking to give it a bit of a cozy feel and some softness by bringing an "un‐overwhelming accent wall into the room with a hint of femininity " she says. "The overall idea was also to keep a light and crisp fresh feel to the room." Focus on texture. "When you have a really monochromatic bed and everything feels very calm and toned down you want something to be a focal point” says Tineke Triggs of Artistic Designs for Living. "This wallpaper brought texture and depth to the room.” Impress your guests. Interior designer Tara Seawright uses wallpaper in a lot of her projects.

Creating an area above a large bed for childhood keepsakes trinkets and books will make the room feel more cozy and childlike. If you're worried about a big bed taking up too much space consider painting the wall behind the bed a nice dark color. This will give the illusion of depth and make the room appear larger. Another great trick to add the illusion of space is to use lots of mirrors. I love the brightness the two mirrors flanking this large bed bring to the room. If you have the square footage lining the walls with multiple queen‐size beds is a great way to sleep a crowd. This room is perfect for slumber parties and late‐night pillow fights. This space looks like it was just transformed into a more mature design. The map keeps it playful but you'll be happy to hang on to the furniture long after your child has left for college. When choosing furniture go for timeless clean pieces your child will be happy to keep well into adulthood. Keeping the room colorful as with this bright pink accent wall will prevent the space from becoming too grown‐up. This cute nautical‐themed room would be great for a growing boy. The materials and patterns feel youthful but classic so it works as an instant guest room when necessary.

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Since the Victorian era what we need in the bedroom has changed very little. We need essentially the same pieces – bed bedside tables clothes storage. And we like essentially the same aesthetic – comfortable peaceful even luxurious. Indeed we may still find the fabrics and wallpapers of that period attractive. Victorian staples such as freestanding wardrobes marble‐topped washstands and folding screens can be reinvented for modern bedrooms while still retaining the Victorian feel. Keep reading to learn how to turn a Victorian bedroom into a personal space you'll love spending time in. It's worth noting that Victorian ladies in their country houses often spent the entire morning in bed reading and writing letters. I'm not sure I'd get away with that but if I did I would want the finest linen and lace to surround me – just like them. Besides the bed the wardrobe would undoubtedly be the largest piece of furniture in a Victorian bedroom. The most popular versions had a mirror in the center cupboard and double‐width storage on either side. Traditionally wardrobes were made of dark varnished wood – a rather large and somber feature for today's tastes. But you can often pick one up cheaply and achieve great effects by stripping and painting it. Although not always a four‐poster (even though they were popular) Victorian beds often had draperies made from light fabric with matching curtains on the windows. Matching draperies and window dressing adorn this French‐inspired room without the four‐poster bed. Note the screen in the corner – these were hugely popular in Victorian bedrooms. Traditionally used to hide unsightly items (or maybe for the lady to dress behind) the screen today serves as a wonderful way to change the contours of the room.

Carving out a soothing space like the one shown here with its white linens simple lighting and book collection will not only provide guests with comfort but the bed placement will give them a bit of privacy – even if bunking with others is required. Even the most narrow spaces can house guests. By placing a bed under the window in this hallway with a lamp table and parson's chair on the opposite wall guests will have everything they need close at hand. If you have a deep closet available in your home office why not tuck a mattress inside? Removing the closet doors and adding pretty bedding that coordinates with the room's decor will make the space feel intentional. Ever since the first Harry Potter book was published the idea of a room under the stairs has been intriguing to both children and adults. Just imagine how happy your littlest houseguests will be when they discover where they'll be sleeping. Creating a sleeping nook with curtains is a great idea if the nook is in an often‐used part of your home. If guests need more privacy they can simply close the drapes. If your home already has a daybed this spot can work for guests too. Dens are great for overnight guests. This windowed pocket door may not provide all of the necessary privacy but the drapery rod and panels are a great quick fix.

Interior designer Letitia Holloway of Myers Designs and Debbie Wiener owner of Designing Solutions are well versed in this transformation and the complications that come with it. If you're thinking of turning your basement into an extra bedroom their tips and tricks can help. Insulate. The last thing you want is a noisy – and chilly – bedroom. "Spend a little extra and add good insulation to the walls” says Wiener. "One good night's sleep and you'll know you spent your money wisely.” Create emergency escape routes. Before beginning construction check your local building codes to learn what your basement's escape requirements are. The necessary routes can also enhance the room. "Installing large upper windows not only enhances the view but provides a great escape route” says Holloway. Look for the charm. Save money by leaving beams exposed or the ceiling unfinished – it will give your new cozy bedroom a feeling of distinction. Add visual height. Unfinished ceilings can also help add height to a space especially when painted a dark color. "Paint the ceiling dark and finish the rest of the room off as you would normally” says Holloway. "This type of ceiling works with a variety of aesthetics and the unfinished effect makes it feel higher than a drop or drywall style would.” Benjamin Moore's Baby Seal Black is one of Holloway's go‐to paint colors. Configure your layout wisely. Place the bed against an interior wall in the room. "Exterior walls change temperature meaning your bed will be cold in the winter and possibly through summer if your basement is below grade” says Wiener.